CASE STUDY: Almost Irreparable Shoes

As designers become more ever more creative, so does their use of unique techniques, daring combinations of fabrics and made-to-order hardware. It can make a simple scuffed heel or torn piece of material seem utterly beyond fixing.

At The Restory, we start with the premise that there is no such thing as unrepairable. Under our team’s skilful hands, a seemingly impossible situation simply becomes a great challenge.

NEW TECHNIQUES

Disaster strikes: a client’s pair of black leather Nicole Fahari high-heeled sandals were thoroughly chewed up by her new puppy. And while we often breathe new life into leather pieces using like-for-like material mending, this location of the damage meant that it wasn’t going to be that easy.

Time to use a new technique. To get around this tricky fix, our Head of Atlelier, Thaís, developed a custom solution involving (among other things) fillers, scalpels, acrylic paint and plenty of patience to rebuild and smooth out the damaged area.

The client’s favourite shoes were returned to her as good as new, with plenty of years’ wear left in them. And the puppy is now with a trainer…but we had nothing to do with that part.

Before

After

SOURCING UNIQUE MATERIAL

Some of the dilemmas we encounter require more than just skilful hands, but a wilful determination to find the missing puzzle piece.Beloved wear and tear meant this client’s lace-covered Gianvito Rossi point-toe flats were missing multiple segments of fabric.We went on the hunt to source an almost identical piece of lace, carefully cutting it to patch the holes – ever careful to make sure the patterns line up correctly.

With a little persistence and the utmost care, you’d never know this pair of flats had ever been anything less than perfect.

Before

After

GETTING CREATIVE

These J Crew pumps were presented to us in a very worn state. The multi-coloured glittered fabric had completely worn down on the heel, and time had caused them to become torn and dirty.

Finding a suitable match for this one-of-a-kind fabric was out of the question, so this conundrum clearly required a more innovative approach.

Using the tiniest of brushes and custom-mixed metallic paints in an array of colours, we hand-painted an imitation pattern straight onto the heel, seamlessly blending fabric and design to bring the shoe back to its original glory.

Just when our client thought she had to say goodbye to her shoes for good, they were able to enjoy another Christmas party season.

We’re exceedingly proud of the dedicated team we’ve built at The Restory. Dedication, team work and creativity have enables us to develop the most advanced techniques and stop at almost nothing to make you fall in love with your favourites all over again.